Gladys Mwiti, Kenya: Serving in the tough places in Africa
Gladys Mwiti is an international leader committed to excellence in holistic behavioral health for Africa. Co-founder of Oasis Africa with her husband Dr. Gershon Mwiti, they direct this leadership and counselling ministry together. Gladys is also a recent Ph.D. graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, where she was a JSM-Langham Scholar.
What motivated Gladys and her husband Gershon to start this ministry in Africa? The growth in Africa has left “a values vacuum there… (T)he values of the smaller communities are being disintegrated,” says Gladys, leaving a broken community with resilience so compromised that it is difficult to care for the needy.
“Africa bleeds and Africa weeps. Children’s laughter by the fireside has been replaced with wailing at the grave side. AIDS has made orphans of so many. I have asked God for the healing of the wounds of my people with my skills as my offering of five loaves and two fish. After all, He calls things that are not as if they were. I have also asked Him for health and wisdom. Then, I seek partnership from all who would join hands with us at Oasis Africa. Holding hands with each other we can begin to wipe away the tears of our people, telling them: The Comforter has come”
Since 1990, Oasis Africa has equipped over 5,000 people to counsel and train others in 16 African nations. Gladys eagerly looks forward to growing the impact of this ministry. She and Gershon will put the knowledge and experience gained at Fuller to work serving Africa. “At Oasis Africa, we continue our work: professional care for those who struggle with emotional problems; supervision for psychology and counseling students; training leaders, counselors and trainers; HIV and AIDS care and prevention; children at risk projects; trauma counseling; research and publishing. My husband and I desire to invest our remaining years in Africa fully convinced that our land will not die. Africa will bloom again.”
For more information on Oasis Africa, please see the website at www.oasisafrica.org .